On University at Albany Week: Preparing for disasters is crucial.
Alex Greer, associate professor in the department of emergency management and homeland security, looks into one avenue to do so.
Alex Greer is an associate professor in the Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security at the University at Albany. Greer’s research focuses on a number of topics related to disaster science, including hazard adjustments and relocation decision making. He is currently partnering with researchers at the University of North Texas, Texas State University, and BrokoppBinder Research and Consulting on a $738,000 project, funded by the National Science Foundation, that aims to gain a better understanding of how post-buyout land is used and managed.
Improving The Home Buyout Process
With environmental disasters such as hurricanes, floods and wildfires becoming more frequent and severe, government agencies are looking for ways to reduce hazard exposure, including the use of federal funds for home buyout programs.
Home buyouts allow homeowners to sell their properties to the government for pre-disaster fair market value. The goal is to reduce the impact of future disasters by removing homeowners from areas that are at risk and employing land uses on the acquired land that protect remaining residents from disaster impacts.
There’s limited research examining how individuals decide whether or not to move after disasters, or if they are better off for moving. Likewise, we don’t have research that examines whether communities are safer after buyouts occur.
I’ve spent the past decade studying hazard adjustments and relocation decisions. My new project, in partnership with a geographer, a community psychologist and an ecologist, is focused on how communities across the state of Texas are managing post-buyout land.
We will measure land use in a few ways. First, we will conduct an ecological assessment of the land, examining several factors, such as the wildlife and plants present, soil nutrients, and the heat capture and carbon capture potential of the land. Second, we will document land uses on the properties and categorize them based on their utility. Lastly, we will examine how peripheral residents view the acquired land, how it affects their daily lives, and if their perspective on the properties increases or decreases their support for future mitigation measures.
With an increasing number of U.S. properties in hazard-prone areas, we must consider all avenues for reducing hazard exposure. Having good science available is an important component to building programs that will lead to better outcomes for households that move or rebuild after a disaster strikes.
